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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: plane · dip · stick · fork · bowl · rock · squash · firm

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. squash — to crush
  7. firm — decided
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — steady
  12. rock — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. dip — to sink
  22. squash — the sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. fork — to eat with

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