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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: rush · roll · straw · fork · bore · jam · pitcher · staff

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. roll — a list
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bore — to tire
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rush — hurry
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. jam — in traffic

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