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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: rock · fork · bear · hide · racket · mate · fan · straw

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rock — a stone
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — to eat with

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