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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: squash · game · net · ball · can · lash · date · bass

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — for catching
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — the sport
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bass — low music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — after costs
  11. game — wild animals
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ball — a dance
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. game — a match
  19. can — a tin
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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