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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · perch · pitcher · cold · bear · fork · roll · mug

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mug — to rob
  5. roll — a cake
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cold — not warm
  14. roll — a list
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bear — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — to put up with

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