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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: bowl · mark · stick · bulb · cabinet · pound · fan · squash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a trace

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