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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: mine · squash · can · kick · rock · game · spring · bank

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — in football
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. game — a match
  13. can — a tin
  14. spring — the season
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spring — of water
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rock — to move gently

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