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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: drill · perch · cue · date · current · lean · bear · fork

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cue — for pool
  4. current — happening now
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. drill — army training
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — of water
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — electric
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. perch — the fish
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cue — a hint

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