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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: field · mug · hide · can · mark · object · pit · squash

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mug — a cup
  4. object — to protest
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. can — a tin
  9. mug — a face
  10. pit — in a race
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — a subject
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — farmland
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — an aim
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. object — a thing
  24. pit — a hole

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