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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bore · squash · staff · net · rush · object · bark · pitcher

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bark — to shout
  6. staff — employees
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. net — in sport
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. object — a thing
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. net — for catching
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — after costs
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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