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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: rule · squash · rash · game · perch · bound · stand · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rash — a series
  11. game — a match
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bound — certain
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bound — tied together
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stand — to bear
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. perch — the fish

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