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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: row · fine · squash · march · swing · toast · fork · craft

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. squash — the sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. craft — boats
  5. swing — music
  6. march — the month
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fork — in a road
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. toast — bread
  11. swing — in golf
  12. march — the month
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. march — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. swing — to play on
  21. row — a line
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — a penalty

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