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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · kick · rock · squash · hide · pitcher

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — to crush
  3. march — music
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. march — the month
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kick — in football
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitcher — a jug

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