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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 · pound · squash · rash · bowl · mouse · club · field

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. field — a subject
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — hasty
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. club — a group
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. squash — to crush
  20. club — for golf
  21. field — farmland
  22. club — for dancing
  23. field — for sport
  24. rash — on the skin

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