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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: rule · squash · field · calf · bank · bay · present · pop

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rule — a law
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bank — for money
  9. pop — soda
  10. field — a subject
  11. present — a gift
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. present — there
  14. bank — of a river
  15. field — for sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — government
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pop — music
  23. field — farmland
  24. squash — the vegetable

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