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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · rock · squash · ball · spring · suit · rush · ground

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rock — music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. suit — in cards
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spring — of water
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — the season
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ground — the earth
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ground — a position

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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