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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: bound · mine · squash · pitcher · rash · game · fan · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rash — hasty
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — to cool the air

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