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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · squash · racket · temple · rush · mug · pitcher · season

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. season — of the year
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tube — a container
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — a face
  12. tube — the underground
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. squash — the sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. season — in sport
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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