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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: sharp · bank · chair · stand · net · racket · fork · straw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — in a road
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. chair — a leader
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. net — for catching
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bank — for money
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fork — to eat with
  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