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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · squash · rest · rush · court · pitcher · date · pit

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — to crush
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. court — of law
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitcher — a jug

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