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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: foot · rock · rush · ruler · last · bowl · squash · jam

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rock — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. last — final
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. last — finally
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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