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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 120 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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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: ball · lash · hand · fork · mark · band · perch · club

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. club — a group
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hand — in cards
  20. perch — the fish
  21. hand — help
  22. ball — a dance
  23. band — a music group
  24. mark — a trace

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