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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · swing · mine · fall · rush · chip · bowl

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fall — the season
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — low music
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. chip — to eat
  23. swing — music
  24. bowl — to roll

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