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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: rush · fan · rock · pound · wake · game · squash · tube

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. game — a match
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. tube — a container
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. squash — to crush
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rock — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pound — to hit hard

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