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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 · pitcher · rock · spell · game · wake · squash · chest

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spell — letters
  13. squash — the sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. chest — of your body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wake — a trail
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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