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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: rash · bowl · wound · bore · pit · squash · capital · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bore — to tire
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — a series
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pit — a hole
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rash — hasty
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wound — an injury

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