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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bore — to drill
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. spell — a short time
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pit — in a race
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. spell — magic
  22. pit — a hole
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. spell — letters

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