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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: nail · suit · pitch · straw · fork · mouse · squash · tube

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fork — in a road
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tube — the underground
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — the sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — a container

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