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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: season · squash · pitcher · mug · leaves · bank · chip · straw

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. season — in sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chip — for betting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bank — for money
  13. squash — the sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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