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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
468
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: pitcher · bank · pass · squash · spell · clip · ball · ground

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a dance
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. spell — a short time
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pass — a permit
  12. spell — magic
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spell — letters
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. clip — a video
  22. ball — a great time
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bank — for money

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