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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: cap · pit · hand · squash · fan · present · pitcher · spell

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. present — the time now
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spell — magic
  8. hand — help
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. present — there
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cap — of ice
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fan — a supporter

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