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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
468
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: saw · key · rule · mine · stem · ball · squash · bass

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — government
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bass — low music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rule — a law
  24. bass — the fish

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