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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · perch · fork · file · firm · key · mine · clip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. clip — a video
  3. key — in music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. game — a match
  6. fork — in a road
  7. firm — a company
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. file — a tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. clip — to cut
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. firm — steady
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. firm — decided
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a document
  22. clip — for paper
  23. game — wild animals
  24. key — for a lock

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