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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · stand · content · bark · suit · scale · mug · chest

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mug — a cup
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chest — a box
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mug — to rob
  18. scale — in music
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — to bear

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