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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: snap · wave · cap · fan · pitcher · bowl · net · dip

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. dip — to sink
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to dunk

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