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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: field · squash · pop · mug · bank · spring · stick · spell

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spring — of water
  4. pop — soda
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — music
  7. field — for sport
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. spell — letters
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — for money
  15. squash — the sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. field — farmland
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — the season
  22. field — a subject
  23. mug — a face
  24. spring — a coil

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