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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: stick · suit · squash · fine · patient · fork · clip · pound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. suit — in cards
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. squash — the sport
  11. suit — to fit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fine — high quality
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fine — all right
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pound — for dogs

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