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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: cabinet · stick · mouse · craft · suit · fork · scale · straw

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — boats
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. scale — in music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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