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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. season — in sport
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rock — a stone
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. content — happy
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. content — the amount
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. season — of the year
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hand — in cards
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rock — music

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