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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: pop · perch · bank · drill · fork · field · club · chip

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bank — for money
  5. club — for dancing
  6. field — for sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. club — a group
  9. field — farmland
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pop — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bank — for money
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bank — of a river
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pop — soda
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pop — to visit
  24. club — for golf

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