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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: bear · squash · mug · pitcher · land · bay · plane · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. land — a country
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. plane — a tool
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mug — a face
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — to tire
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bear — the animal
  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