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

Word bank: perch · dip · temple · racket · fork · wound · clip · stick

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. clip — a video
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. clip — to cut
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. dip — to sink
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. racket — a loud noise

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