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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: fork · perch · nail · pit · scale · lash · staff · fall

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pit — a hole
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — the season
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fall — to drop
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — employees
  14. fork — in a road
  15. staff — a stick
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — on a finger

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