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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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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: track · club · staff · tear · fork · bass · perch · firm

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. firm — a company
  3. club — a group
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — from crying
  12. staff — a stick
  13. track — to keep track
  14. club — for dancing
  15. firm — decided
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — low music
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — steady
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  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