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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 116 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: pitcher · fall · fork · mine · lash · cabinet · present · scale

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — there
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. scale — in music
  8. fall — the season
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. present — the time now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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