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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 116 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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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: bank · ball · season · pound · rash · kid · squash · mark

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — child
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. season — in sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — of the year
  13. squash — the sport
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rash — a series
  16. mark — a trace
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mark — a grade
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pound — for dogs

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