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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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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — low music
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bound — tied together
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pit — a hole

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