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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: squash · bat · roll · wake · pitcher · bulb · cap · snap

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. roll — a cake
  3. snap — to click
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. roll — a list
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — a hat
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. squash — to crush

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