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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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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: kick · foot · scale · tube · firm · pass · last · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. last — final
  6. firm — a company
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. foot — a measure
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. firm — decided
  13. kick — in football
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. tube — a container
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. last — finally
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — the underground
  23. last — to go on
  24. foot — the bottom

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