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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 · bear · squash · pit · swing · jam · hand · pitch

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. squash — the sport
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — music
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. jam — a tight spot

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