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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 116 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: rash · nail · bass · season · hand · cue · net · squash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — in cards
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rash — a series
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — low music
  13. net — for catching
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hand — help
  20. season — in sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. net — in sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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