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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: rule · spell · jam · fine · pop · squash · lash · swing

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rule — a law
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pop — to visit
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — all right
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pop — soda
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pop — music
  22. swing — music
  23. rule — government
  24. squash — the sport

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