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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: wake · cap · plane · bass · temple · pitch · racket · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitch — completely
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cap — of ice
  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