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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. squash — to crush
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pop — music
  9. drill — army training
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rock — a stone
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — soda
  24. squash — the vegetable

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