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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: rush · net · pop · squash · spell · object · stick · club

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. squash — to crush
  4. net — in sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — magic
  7. club — for golf
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. net — for catching
  13. object — to protest
  14. club — for dancing
  15. net — after costs
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. object — an aim
  22. club — a group
  23. object — a thing
  24. squash — the vegetable

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