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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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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: fork · fine · drill · club · mine · lean · perch · craft

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fine — all right
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. craft — a skill
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. craft — boats
  18. club — for golf
  19. fine — high quality
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lean — to bend
  24. drill — army training

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