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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: ball · bore · foot · prune · present · game · bank · squash

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bank — for money
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. game — a match
  6. present — the time now
  7. bore — to tire
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. present — there
  10. foot — a measure
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. present — a gift
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bank — for money
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bore — to drill
  24. game — wild animals

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