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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: saw · cue · squash · bass · pass · shower · season · club

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pass — a permit
  6. club — for golf
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cue — a hint
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cue — a signal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cue — for pool
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — low music
  19. club — a group
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — the sport
  23. shower — rain
  24. bass — the fish

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