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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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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 · race · squash · leaves · pop · bank · cap · kick

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. race — the arms race
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. race — humankind
  19. cap — a lid
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pop — soda
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. race — a contest

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