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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
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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: squash · bass · date · kid · present · shower · jam · can

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. present — the time now
  8. kid — child
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bass — low music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kid — to tease
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — to wash
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. present — there
  23. can — to be able to
  24. shower — rain

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