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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 120 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: staff · squash · pass · bowl · root · fork · fan · mine

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. squash — to crush
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. squash — the sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pass — a permit
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. root — of a word
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. pass — to succeed

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