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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: pop · pound · squash · fine · roll · craft · tear · fork

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — the sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. squash — to crush
  6. roll — a list
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pop — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pop — to visit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pop — soda

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