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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: stand · row · squash · game · bound · calf · fork · mug

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. row — a line
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mug — a face
  11. game — wild animals
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a match
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mug — a cup
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. squash — the sport
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bound — certain
  23. mug — to rob
  24. calf — a young animal

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