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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: roll · fork · saw · squash · spring · ball · bore · stand

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. squash — to crush
  3. saw — the tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. spring — of water
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. squash — the sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. spring — the season
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. roll — a cake

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