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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: ball · roll · trunk · present · foot · deal · spring · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. roll — a cake
  8. spring — a coil
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spring — of water
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. squash — the sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ball — a dance
  23. present — there
  24. deal — an agreement

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