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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 120 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: stand · mine · fork · pitcher · ruler · bowl · pop · row

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pop — music
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fork — to eat 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