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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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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: squash · charge · lash · row · fork · content · pit · bank

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. row — a line
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — in control
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fork — in a road
  8. charge — a price
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — a hole
  14. content — happy
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. content — the amount
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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