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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pop — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — goods
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stock — shares
  23. game — a match
  24. ruler — a monarch

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