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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. drill — army training
  3. fork — in a road
  4. board — a committee
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. drill — a practice
  19. board — to get on
  20. lean — to bend
  21. suit — to fit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. track — to keep track
  24. suit — clothes

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