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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · squash · bark · mouse · kick · mine · pit · straw

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. season — in sport
  6. kick — in football
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mine — for digging
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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