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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. net — in sport
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — decided
  7. net — after costs
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bass — the fish
  16. roll — a list
  17. bank — for money
  18. firm — steady
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. firm — a company
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ruler — for measuring

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