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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: stand · squash · content · racket · pitcher · face · fine · rush

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. face — to confront
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — all right
  11. content — the amount
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. content — happy
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stand — to bear
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stand — for spectators

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