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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bank — of a river
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mine — for digging
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cell — in biology
  24. swing — to play on

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