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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 120 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 · staff · chair · fork · pound · ground · rush

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. ground — a position
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. staff — employees
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ground — the earth
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ground — crushed
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. staff — employees
  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