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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · squash · bank · game · mark · tube

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to tire
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bore — to drill
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. game — a match

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