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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bank — for money
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. season — of the year
  7. bank — of a river
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — to grow
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. season — in sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pound — a weight
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a dance

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