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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: squash · rock · kick · land · game · net · capital · mouse

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. net — after costs
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. capital — a city
  12. land — ground
  13. capital — money
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. game — wild animals
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. net — in sport
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. game — a match

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