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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: ground · court · mug · hide · branch · bank · squash · pop

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pop — music
  3. mug — to rob
  4. court — of a king
  5. mug — a cup
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bank — of a river
  8. branch — a division
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — a face
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — the earth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — crushed
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bank — for money
  21. squash — the sport
  22. court — of law
  23. ground — a position
  24. court — for sport

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