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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: bowl · dip · stem · capital · squash · pitch · wax · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fork — in a road
  5. squash — the sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitch — completely
  11. capital — money
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bowl — a dish

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