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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: squash · season · bay · date · bat · wake · nail · tube

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tube — the underground
  8. date — the fruit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bat — the animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — in sport
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tube — a container
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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