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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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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: bay · bear · plane · staff · wave · can · squash · pitch

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. can — a tin
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. staff — employees
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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