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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: bank · craft · pitcher · stick · drill · toast · squash · bay

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. craft — boats
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bank — for money
  22. toast — bread
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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