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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · pit · bass · fall · spell · degree · craft · toast

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bass — low music
  3. spell — magic
  4. pit — in a race
  5. toast — bread
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bass — the fish
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fall — to drop
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. craft — a skill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. craft — boats
  22. spell — letters
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fall — the season

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