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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: scale · chair · stand · root · fork · nail · straw · mug

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. root — the cause
  15. mug — to rob
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chair — a professorship

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