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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 · bowl · bank · toast · trunk · spring · kid · scale

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. squash — to crush
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — the sport
  12. spring — of water
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spring — the season
  17. kid — child
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. toast — bread
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — a coil
  24. kid — to tease

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