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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. perch — the fish
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bass — the fish
  6. game — wild animals
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. game — a match
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — low music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stand — to bear
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lean — thin

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