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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
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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: bowl · saw · tear · squash · pitcher · spell · craft · mark

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — magic
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tear — from crying
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bowl — to roll

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