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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rest — a break
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ground — crushed
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. club — a group
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — a position
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — for golf
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bound — certain
  24. rest — what's left

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