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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 116 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: cabinet · wind · squash · bowl · chair · bass · mug · pitch

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wind — moving air
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bass — low music
  18. mug — a face
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bowl — a football final

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