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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: sharp · bank · pitcher · wake · jam · squash · bark · bore

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bore — to drill
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bank — of a river
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bank — for money
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. sharp — clever
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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