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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 116 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: nail · perch · court · fork · rash · bay · deal · tube

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fork — in a road
  3. court — for sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. tube — a container
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. court — of a king
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. court — of law
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rash — a series
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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