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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · rock · bass · bark · net · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rock — a stone
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rock — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. bark — to shout
  7. net — after costs
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. net — for catching
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. squash — to crush

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