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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 · spell · race · pound · can · pitcher · squash · bank

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bank — of a river
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spell — a short time
  18. race — humankind
  19. spell — letters
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. race — a contest
  22. spell — magic
  23. bore — to drill
  24. can — to be able to

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