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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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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: squash · bowl · pitch · band · fork · bore · bark · hide

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. band — a ring
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. band — a music group

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