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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: ball · bulb · pass · squash · bat · mark · chair · object

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. object — a thing
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ball — a great time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bulb — for light

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