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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 120 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: root · firm · snap · bulb · kid · scale · bank · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. firm — steady
  5. bank — of a river
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kid — child
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. scale — in music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. squash — to crush
  18. root — the cause
  19. snap — to click
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bulb — for light
  23. root — of a word
  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