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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: key · squash · march · stand · mouse · bank · foot · stick

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — of a river
  19. march — the month
  20. foot — a measure
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. key — in music

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