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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: bass · squash · rule · saw · dip · calf · prune · swing

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bass — the fish
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. bass — low music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. swing — music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. prune — to trim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. dip — to dunk

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