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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 120 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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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: squash · pit · racket · mate · lash · stand · cap · saw

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — to bear
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — to crush
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mate — to breed

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