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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · staff · bass · snap · ball · prune · squash · race

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. staff — employees
  4. bass — the fish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. race — the arms race
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bass — low music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a great time
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. prune — to trim
  19. race — humankind
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. race — a contest
  24. sharp — clever

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