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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 120 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. drill — army training
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pop — soda
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — to crush
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. snap — to click
  12. pop — music
  13. drill — a practice
  14. season — in sport
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. squash — the sport
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ball — a great time
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. drill — the tool
  24. season — of the year

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