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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 116 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: bore · lash · bowl · pit · hide · pass · stand · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — to succeed

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