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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 116 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: bound · band · face · squash · mouse · straw · ball · pitch

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. face — to point toward
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bound — tied together
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. band — a ring
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bound — obliged
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pitch — completely
  21. face — to confront
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. squash — the sport

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