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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: race · mug · wake · perch · squash · bank · track · content

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — a cup
  3. track — a song
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. perch — the fish
  6. race — a contest
  7. bank — of a river
  8. track — a path
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — to crush
  11. content — the amount
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — to keep track
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. race — humankind
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mug — a face
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. content — happy
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mug — to rob
  24. squash — the sport

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