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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: pitcher · mouse · straw · scale · fork · chip · rest · rock

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rest — a break
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. scale — in music

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