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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. field — farmland
  3. pop — soda
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. club — for golf
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. club — a group
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. club — for dancing
  15. field — a subject
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pop — music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cabinet — ministers

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