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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 · hide · present · wax · squash · pitcher · cue · pound

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. present — there
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — the time now
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. present — a gift
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. squash — to crush

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