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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. object — to protest
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. object — a thing
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. perch — the fish
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — an aim
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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