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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 · hide · stem · saw · bass · suit · tube · pitch

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. tube — the underground
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. squash — the sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — completely
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stem — to come from
  18. suit — in cards
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. suit — clothes
  24. squash — the vegetable

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