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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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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 · wake · wind · deal · stand · squash · pitch · drill

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. squash — to crush
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wake — a trail
  8. season — of the year
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. drill — the tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wind — moving air
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wind — to turn a key

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