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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 116 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 · pit · present · row · game · rush · mine · squash

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. present — a gift
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — there
  5. game — a match
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mine — for digging
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. game — wild animals
  16. squash — to crush
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. present — the time now
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mine — belonging to me

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