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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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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: bowl · game · drill · bark · wave · fork · squash · rest

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. squash — to crush
  4. drill — a practice
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. game — a match
  7. drill — army training
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rest — a break
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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