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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. board — to get on
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — happy
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. content — the amount
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. board — a committee
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. prune — the fruit

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