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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 124 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. roll — a cake
  6. board — to get on
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of a king
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. band — a ring
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bank — of a river
  14. roll — a list
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — to crush
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a music group
  20. board — a committee
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pop — music
  23. court — for sport
  24. pop — soda

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