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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: mug · perch · squash · bowl · cap · band · wake · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mug — a face
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. cap — of ice

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