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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: mark · key · band · squash · fine · pass · bank · spell

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. key — in music
  7. bank — for money
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. key — for a lock
  10. squash — the sport
  11. spell — magic
  12. fine — all right
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spell — letters
  16. band — a music group
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — a grade
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a ring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spell — a short time

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