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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: rock · mouse · fork · bat · club · drill · staff · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. staff — employees
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. drill — army training
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. staff — employees

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