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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: bark · squash · saw · can · ground · bowl · bass · suit

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bass — low music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ground — the earth
  8. suit — in cards
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ground — crushed
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  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