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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: stick · pass · snap · squash · fork · bowl · pitch · row

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pass — a permit
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — to crush
  15. snap — to click
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. row — a line
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pitch — a sports field

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