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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: squash · calf · rest · cap · racket · bass · date · fan

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — to crush
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cap — a lid
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — what's left
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bass — the fish
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  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