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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: fall · branch · squash · foot · pitcher · pop · bass · ruler

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. 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. pitcher — a jug
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. squash — the sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fall — the season
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pop — music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — soda
  23. bass — low music
  24. 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