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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · bass · leaves · bear · squash · chip · ruler · spring

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bass — low music
  5. spring — the season
  6. net — after costs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — for catching
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. chip — for betting
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. net — in sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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