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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: field · bass · squash · cap · toast · rock · pop · plane

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. squash — to crush
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pop — music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pop — soda
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. plane — a tool
  15. field — a subject
  16. rock — music
  17. field — farmland
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. toast — bread
  20. field — for sport
  21. pop — to visit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rock — a stone

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