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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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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: pitcher · bowl · roll · racket · wave · cap · band · squash

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cap — a hat
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — a lid
  9. roll — a list
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. band — a music group
  17. roll — a cake
  18. squash — the sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cap — of ice

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