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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: date · pound · firm · bowl · straw · fork · lie · squash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — to recline
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fork — in a road
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. date — the fruit
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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