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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: squash · mouse · board · spell · ground · pop · mark · bank

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. board — to get on
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. board — a committee
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — magic
  14. pop — music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — letters
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pop — soda
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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