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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: bowl · mark · bear · saw · perch · club · fork · coach

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. club — a group
  9. mark — a grade
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bear — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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