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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: pound · mouse · cabinet · clip · fan · fork · toast · staff

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. toast — bread
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. staff — employees
  12. clip — a video
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. staff — employees
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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