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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: bank · pop · row · suit · shower · squash · stick · firm

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — to crush
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — steady
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pop — to visit
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pop — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — a line
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. pop — soda
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bank — for money
  23. shower — to wash
  24. suit — in cards

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