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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bass — low music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stem — to come from
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wound — an injury
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitch — completely
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. squash — the sport
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — of a plant

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