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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: bore · squash · race · mark · coach · pop · pitcher · bark

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bark — to shout
  3. race — humankind
  4. squash — to crush
  5. race — a contest
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pop — soda
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pop — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bore — gave birth

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