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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: kid · object · stand · fork · straw · sharp · scale · season

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. sharp — clever
  4. object — a thing
  5. season — of the year
  6. scale — size or range
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — to tease
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. object — an aim
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. kid — child
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. object — to protest
  21. scale — in music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fork — to eat with

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