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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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. band — a rubber band
  4. current — of water
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. current — happening now
  8. squash — to crush
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — the fish
  14. band — a music group
  15. bass — low music
  16. board — a committee
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. band — a ring
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. board — to get on
  22. squash — the sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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