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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · chest · track · bat · season · deal · bear · squash

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bank — for money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. season — in sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chest — a box
  16. track — a path
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — the sport
  24. track — a song

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