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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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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: fork · present · kick · squash · club · scale · bowl · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. present — a gift
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. scale — in music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — army training
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. scale — size or range
  11. present — the time now
  12. club — a group
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. drill — a practice
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. club — for golf
  19. present — there
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. squash — the sport
  24. club — for dancing

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