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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · bowl · squash · deal · march · rock · game · bank

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a match
  5. season — in sport
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — to crush
  8. march — music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. deal — to handle
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rock — music
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bank — for money
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. march — the month

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