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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: stand · object · sharp · rest · straw · pit · scale · last

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. last — final
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. object — to protest
  16. last — finally
  17. object — a thing
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. rest — a break
  20. stand — to bear
  21. scale — in music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. scale — size or range

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