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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: bore · stand · patient · craft · pitcher · mouse · bass · squash

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bore — to tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — low music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. patient — a sick person

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