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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: fork · mate · bowl · straw · pound · cabinet

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fork — in a road
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mate — a friend
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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