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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — tied together
  4. chair — a leader
  5. track — a song
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bound — certain
  9. bass — the fish
  10. object — an aim
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — to protest
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. object — a thing
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — music
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — a path
  22. bass — low music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. swing — in golf

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