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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: suit · straw · bound · fork · chip · stick · ball · cap

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fork — in a road
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bound — certain
  20. cap — a hat
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — to eat
  24. suit — clothes

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