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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 · squash · hide · game · sharp · pitcher · court · firm

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. court — of law
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. firm — steady
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. court — of a king
  10. bore — to tire
  11. firm — decided
  12. game — wild animals
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. game — a match
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. squash — to crush
  22. firm — a company
  23. squash — the sport
  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