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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — to get on
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — a container
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — a match
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a committee
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com