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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 120 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: squash · bowl · snap · pitcher · suit · land · mug · cabinet

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. snap — to click
  5. suit — clothes
  6. land — ground
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — to come down
  12. mug — a face
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. land — a country
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mug — to rob
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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