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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · rash · wake · lash · pitch · bass · fan · bowl

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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