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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 · bowl · swing · date · bass · squash · mark · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — the sport
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. swing — music
  6. bass — low music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. swing — in golf
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — in football
  24. squash — to crush

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