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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 120 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: stick · rash · pitcher · bound · squash · pitch · fan · mark

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — a series
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — completely
  24. squash — the vegetable

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