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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: racket · chest · nail · squash · fork · mug · pass · march

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — a face
  10. march — music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fork — in a road
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. march — the month
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. racket — for tennis

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