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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: bore · pit · squash · rash · stand · can · bay · racket

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bore — to tire
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — a series
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bore — gave birth

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