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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: can · bay · hide · straw · fork · foot · field · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fork — in a road
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — a measure
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. suit — to fit
  17. can — a tin
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. can — a tin

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