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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: squash · rule · chest · march · tube · bank · stand · rock

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rock — music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rule — government
  6. squash — to crush
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chest — of your body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rule — a law
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chest — a box
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rock — a stone

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