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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 124 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bass — the fish
  3. firm — decided
  4. bass — low music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. kid — to tease
  7. object — an aim
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. object — to protest
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — a company
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. object — a thing
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kid — child
  21. bore — to tire
  22. firm — steady
  23. toast — bread
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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