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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: squash · racket · rash · hide · spell · stick · net · pop

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. net — for catching
  6. rash — hasty
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — a series
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. pop — soda
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. squash — to crush
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — to visit
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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