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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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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 · rule · squash · date · wake · rock · pitch · bound

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bound — tied together
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rock — a stone
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rule — government
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — obliged
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rock — music
  24. bound — certain

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