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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: pass · cap · squash · prune · pitcher · net · pop · toast

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cap — a hat
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — music
  15. net — after costs
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cap — of ice
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. squash — the sport
  22. toast — bread
  23. net — in sport
  24. prune — the fruit

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