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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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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: prune · squash · mug · race · safe · bank · bay · pound

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mug — to rob
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mug — a face
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. race — the arms race
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. race — humankind
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mug — a cup
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. race — a contest
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. squash — the sport

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