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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: rush · fork · ruler · stand · squash · chest · arm · pitcher

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — a box
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stand — to bear
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pitcher — a jug

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