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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · plane · kid · pitcher · swing · last · wake · racket

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kid — child
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. swing — to play on
  10. last — finally
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. last — to go on
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. squash — the sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. last — final

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