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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ground — the earth
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ground — a position
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bass — the fish
  16. squash — the sport
  17. deal — to handle
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — soda
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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