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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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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: racket · squash · roll · fork · swing · march · toast · rock

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. march — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fork — in a road
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. roll — a list
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. swing — music
  13. toast — bread
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rock — music
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rock — a stone
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. swing — in golf

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