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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
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: bear · toast · dip · bass · march · wound · pitcher · squash

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wound — an injury
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — to crush
  19. toast — bread
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. march — the month

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