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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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — a committee
  8. race — a contest
  9. rock — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — rain
  20. race — the arms race
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. race — humankind
  24. squash — to crush

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