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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: capital · kid · foot · prune · stand · squash · bore · spell

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — to tire
  10. capital — a city
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — child
  13. prune — to trim
  14. foot — a measure
  15. capital — money
  16. spell — letters
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. spell — magic
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a big letter

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