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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · mug · pitch · mine · squash · cap · mouse · club

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bass — low music
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bass — the fish
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — a lid
  15. club — a group
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mug — a face
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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