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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: bank · track · trunk · stand · season · foot · spell · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spell — magic
  7. track — to keep track
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. season — in sport
  11. track — a path
  12. season — of the year
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — letters
  16. squash — to crush
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. track — a song
  19. foot — a measure
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. trunk — of a car

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