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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: pop · squash · drill · mine · mark · pitcher · jam · face

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pop — music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pop — to visit
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mark — a trace
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pop — soda
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. drill — army training
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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