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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · pop · bowl · spring · pitcher · squash · prune · mug

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spring — of water
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. spring — the season
  17. pop — soda
  18. mug — to rob
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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