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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 116 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: cue · fan · fork · sharp · lean · band · chair · scale

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chair — a leader
  3. band — a music group
  4. scale — in music
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. scale — size or range
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fork — in a road
  16. band — a ring
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. sharp — exactly

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