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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: bark · saw · mug · squash · pit · pass · drill · spell

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. drill — army training
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spell — letters
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mug — a face
  10. spell — magic
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — to shout
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mug — to rob
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pass — a permit

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