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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ball — a dance
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bound — obliged
  12. club — for golf
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — a group
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rush — hurry

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