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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: bat · can · fork · bound · perch · drill · mark · shower

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — in a road
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. can — a tin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bound — certain
  19. drill — army training
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. drill — a practice
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — a grade
  24. can — to be able to

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