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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 · bay · season · wound · wave · pitch · can · pop

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — soda
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pop — music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pop — to visit
  19. season — of the year
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. squash — the sport
  24. can — to be able to

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