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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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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: date · squash · lash · stand · board · bowl · cap · pit

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — a hat
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pit — a hole
  11. date — the fruit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. board — a committee
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. board — to get on

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