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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: trunk · court · bank · squash · pass · rash · pound · bay

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. court — for sport
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — a weight
  10. court — of a king
  11. rash — a series
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. squash — to crush
  16. court — of law
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — of a river
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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