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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mate — to breed
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — a contest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a friend
  18. race — humankind
  19. suit — clothes
  20. race — the arms race
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mate — a partner

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