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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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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: row · bank · mouse · trunk · pop · current · squash · jam

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. current — happening now
  13. squash — to crush
  14. row — a line
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pop — soda
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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