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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. firm — a company
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. firm — steady
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — low music
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. firm — decided
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — a match

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