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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: bank · bat · mug · chip · squash · object · content · pit

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — an aim
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. object — to protest
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — a cup
  13. content — happy
  14. mug — a face
  15. content — the amount
  16. chip — to eat
  17. object — a thing
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. squash — to crush
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bat — the animal

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