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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: bass · rest · cap · can · dip · mine · jam · squash

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mine — for digging
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — a lid
  5. squash — to crush
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bass — low music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the fish
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rest — a break
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rest — what's left
  24. squash — the sport

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