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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: fork · cabinet · saw · squash · row · coach · pound · net

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. net — in sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — in a road
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. net — for catching
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pound — a weight
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. net — after costs

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