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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: spell · can · net · squash · pitcher · craft · wake · bass

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bass — low music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wake — a trail
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — a short time

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