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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — to keep track
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. kid — child
  14. track — a song
  15. band — a music group
  16. kid — to tease
  17. band — a ring
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bank — for money
  24. coach — a trainer

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