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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: roll · content · bank · rush · squash · net · wave · bass

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. net — in sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. roll — a list
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bank — for money
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — the fish
  20. squash — to crush
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. squash — the sport

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