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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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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: band · bay · bore · ground · row · squash · mate · pass

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. band — a ring
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bore — to drill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ground — a position
  17. mate — to breed
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ground — crushed
  21. row — a line
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mate — a friend
  24. band — a music group

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