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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: pop · season · firm · pit · game · object · mouse · squash

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pop — music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. game — wild animals
  5. object — a thing
  6. pop — soda
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. season — in sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. object — to protest
  12. firm — decided
  13. game — a match
  14. firm — a company
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. season — of the year
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — an aim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — steady

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