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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: fork · band · mate · perch · craft · kid · bowl · object

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. kid — child
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. craft — boats
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a music group
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. perch — the fish
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. mate — to breed
  19. kid — to tease
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mate — a partner
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fork — in a road

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