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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: squash · pit · bear · foot · cap · saw · lie · stand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cap — a hat
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. foot — a measure
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bear — to put up with

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