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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: pitcher · wax · squash · bore · suit · stand · scale · trunk

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bore — to drill
  3. scale — in music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bore — to tire
  7. squash — the sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. scale — size or range
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. suit — clothes

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