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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: rush · key · rest · pound · stick · bat · squash · fork

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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