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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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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: pit · fork · staff · cabinet · kick · stand

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — in football
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stand — to bear
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. staff — employees

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