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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: fork · nail · squash · wave · ball · plane · root · chip

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. root — of a word
  13. ball — a great time
  14. squash — to crush
  15. plane — a tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. root — the cause
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. root — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — in geometry

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