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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: jam · pitch · land · root · squash · bass · cue · bowl

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bass — low music
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pitch — completely
  11. land — a country
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. root — the cause
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. root — of a word
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. squash — to crush

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