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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 120 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: foot · nail · squash · content · bass · fall · tube · season

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. squash — to crush
  4. fall — the season
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. season — of the year
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. content — happy
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bass — the fish
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. content — the amount
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — in sport
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tube — the underground

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