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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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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: hide · racket · rock · wake · cabinet · firm · scale · fork

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. firm — a company
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. scale — size or range
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — in music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. racket — a loud noise

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