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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: ruler · ground · craft · rock · stem · net · roll · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. ground — the earth
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. roll — a list
  9. stem — to come from
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — music
  13. net — for catching
  14. craft — boats
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ground — a position

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