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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 120 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 · squash · pound · row · bass · lean · mark · bear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. row — a line
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — low music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fork — in a road
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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