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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. roll — a cake
  3. charge — a price
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. roll — a list
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. squash — to crush
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. charge — in control
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stand — to bear
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bank — of a river

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