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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
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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: bass · ground · suit · squash · wind · deal · leaves · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ground — a position
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — clothes
  5. deal — to handle
  6. firm — steady
  7. squash — to crush
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — crushed
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bass — the fish
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. firm — a company
  21. ground — the earth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — low music

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