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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: last · straw · net · stand · fork · toast · track · shower

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. shower — to wash
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — bread
  13. last — finally
  14. net — for catching
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stand — to bear
  17. track — a path
  18. net — in sport
  19. last — final
  20. track — a song
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. last — to go on
  23. shower — rain
  24. straw — dry grass

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