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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: snap · bass · cabinet · rock · row · track · deal · squash

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bass — low music
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. squash — the sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — a path
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. snap — to click
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. track — a song
  23. squash — to crush
  24. row — a line

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