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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: scale · straw · ground · suit · chip · pitcher · object · cabinet

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ground — a position
  10. scale — size or range
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — a thing
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. scale — in music
  24. ground — crushed

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