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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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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: perch · bowl · row · ground · fork · key · object · foot

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fork — in a road
  3. foot — a measure
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ground — the earth
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — the fish
  10. object — to protest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. ground — a position
  17. object — a thing
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. key — in music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ground — crushed
  24. foot — part of the body

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