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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · stand · straw · bark · staff · pitcher · can · bat

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stand — to bear
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — employees
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. staff — employees
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. can — to be able to

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