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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 116 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: pop · bay · squash · rock · mine · ball · can · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. rock — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. ball — a great time
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. squash — the sport
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pop — soda
  24. can — a tin

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