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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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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: net · rest · squash · land · pitcher · bass · mate · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rest — a break
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — a country
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mate — to breed
  15. land — ground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — for catching
  20. land — to come down
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mate — a friend

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