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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 120 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: lean · can · present · squash · prune · game · net · bank

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — for catching
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — wild animals
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. present — there
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — the time now
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. can — to be able to
  20. squash — the sport
  21. game — a match
  22. present — a gift
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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