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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 116 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: swing · drill · board · bear · bulb · fork · straw · squash

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. board — to get on
  4. swing — to play on
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. drill — army training
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. swing — in golf
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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