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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 116 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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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: can · wound · squash · perch · bank · fine · race · fork

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — a tin
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — high quality
  8. race — humankind
  9. bank — for money
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fine — all right
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. can — a tin
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. race — a contest

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