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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: squash · saw · bass · band · mug · perch · swing · plane

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. squash — to crush
  4. saw — the tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. swing — to play on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — low music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. band — a music group
  14. squash — the sport
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mug — a face
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. swing — music

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