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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 116 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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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 · straw · scale · present · kick · mark · pitch · fork

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. present — a gift
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mark — a grade
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. scale — in music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mark — a trace
  17. kick — in football
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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