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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. net — for catching
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fine — high quality
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — in sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — all right
  18. spell — magic
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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