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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 120 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: net · firm · squash · bass · spell · board · mug · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bass — low music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bass — the fish
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — the sport
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — in sport
  17. firm — decided
  18. mug — a face
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. net — after costs
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spell — a short time

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