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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: drill · squash · mate · fork · wake · pop · pound · scale

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fork — in a road
  11. scale — in music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mate — a friend
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. drill — army training
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mate — a partner

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