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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: dip · lean · racket · pitcher · squash · band · pass · bowl

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lean — thin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. band — a music group
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lean — to bend
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. band — a ring
  24. racket — for tennis

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