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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 · date · rash · leaves · pitcher · capital · fine · jam

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. squash — to crush
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. fine — all right
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. date — the fruit
  12. squash — the sport
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. capital — a city
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rash — a series
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fine — a penalty
  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