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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 · bass · safe · row · mark · ground · object · drill

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. drill — army training
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — the tool
  15. object — an aim
  16. row — a line
  17. object — a thing
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bass — low music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — to protest

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