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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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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — rain
  5. net — in sport
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. net — for catching
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. net — after costs
  17. squash — the sport
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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