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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 120 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: lash · bass · bowl · squash · bulb · mug · cold · pitch

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bass — low music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bulb — for light

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