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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pop — soda
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pop — to visit
  14. swing — to play on
  15. branch — a division
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pop — music

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