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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: pit · field · stand · date · squash · bore · object · cue

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. squash — to crush
  2. pit — in a race
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pit — a hole
  9. field — for sport
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. date — the fruit
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stand — to bear
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. object — an aim
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cue — a signal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bore — to drill
  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