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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bass — low music
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stock — goods
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stock — shares
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bat — the animal

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