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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: squash · stand · bark · club · stick · ball · bound · prune

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. squash — the sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. club — for dancing
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stand — to bear
  14. club — for golf
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bark — to shout
  20. club — a group
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bound — obliged

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