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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 116 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 · staff · wind · bark · racket · drill · squash · bank

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bank — for money
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. squash — the sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wind — moving air
  21. drill — army training
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bank — for money

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