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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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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 · mug · mate · march · suit · bass · squash · bound

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. mate — a partner
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bank — of a river
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — to breed
  11. squash — to crush
  12. march — the month
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. march — music
  18. mug — a face
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bass — low music
  21. march — the month
  22. bound — obliged
  23. suit — clothes
  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