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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: wave · fork · bulb · bowl · stick · squash · scale · nail

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — in music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — for light
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wave — of the sea

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