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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. court — for sport
  4. face — to point toward
  5. track — a song
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bank — of a river
  8. toast — bread
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rule — government
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. face — part of the head
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. face — to confront

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