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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: jam · perch · squash · bound · foot · ball · rash · bass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bound — obliged
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. perch — the fish
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bass — low music
  20. rash — a series
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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