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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: squash · field · tube · rest · stand · bore · row · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bore — to drill
  4. field — for sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. row — to paddle
  9. squash — to crush
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tube — a container
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rest — a break
  15. row — a line
  16. bore — to tire
  17. field — farmland
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. field — a subject
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rest — what's left

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