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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: drill · bass · squash · pop · branch · safe · stand · game

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bass — the fish
  6. branch — a division
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bass — low music
  23. drill — a practice
  24. squash — the vegetable

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