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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · pitcher · snap · spell · fork · perch · mug · squash

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. spell — magic
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — letters
  9. drill — the tool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fork — in a road

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