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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. root — the cause
  4. track — a path
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pit — a hole
  9. track — a song
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. track — to keep track
  16. root — of a word
  17. pit — in a race
  18. root — of a plant
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — for money

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