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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 116 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: pitcher · season · wake · bulb · bore · squash · wound · pit

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bore — to drill
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wake — a trail
  12. season — in sport
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. season — of the year
  24. bulb — for light

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