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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.

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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: mouse · wave · kid · court · staff · dip · squash · bass

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bass — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. court — of law
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. court — for sport
  13. bass — low music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. court — of a king
  21. kid — child
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. staff — employees

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