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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: net · scale · pass · squash · perch · wake · dip · bulb

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — the sport
  8. scale — in music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. net — for catching
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. dip — to sink

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