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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: bound · can · squash · rash · stick · present · pitcher · mark

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. present — a gift
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. present — there
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — to be able to
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. squash — the sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — the time now
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — a tin

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