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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 · perch · nail · cap · snap · swing · scale · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. perch — the fish
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — in a road
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to click
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cap — a lid
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cap — of ice
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — in golf
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. scale — in music

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