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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: wave · squash · jam · hand · stick · pit · drill · ball

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — in a race
  10. squash — the sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. drill — army training
  19. squash — to crush
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a dance
  22. drill — a practice
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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