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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: season · bark · bass · stick · safe · ruler · prune · squash

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. squash — to crush
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — the fish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. ruler — for measuring

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