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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: net · dip · drill · cabinet · pound · wave · rash · fork

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. drill — army training
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. net — in sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. dip — to sink
  19. net — for catching
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — after costs
  24. rash — hasty

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