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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: fork · wave · spell · deal · straw · jam · game · perch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spell — letters
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a match
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. deal — to handle
  18. game — wild animals
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — for a bird

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