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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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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: jam · toast · bat · stand · straw · fork · pitcher · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — to bear
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bat — the animal
  13. toast — bread
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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