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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. track — a path
  3. land — a country
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — a song
  8. land — ground
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — to come down
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bank — for money
  19. can — to be able to
  20. shower — to wash
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cap — a hat
  23. shower — rain
  24. track — to keep track

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