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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: season · nail · stick · fork · toast · kid · can · scale

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — in a road
  10. toast — bread
  11. season — of the year
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. season — in sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kid — to tease

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