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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. 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 — in a road
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — a lid
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. foot — a measure
  18. 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