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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: snap · pop · current · tube · bank · lean · squash · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tube — a container
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pop — to visit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bank — of a river
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pop — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — soda
  18. current — happening now
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — electric
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — to bend
  24. squash — the 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