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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: craft · net · club · fork · snap · patient · track · perch

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fork — in a road
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — for catching
  7. club — for dancing
  8. craft — a skill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. track — a song
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. net — after costs
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to click
  15. club — a group
  16. perch — the fish
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. club — for golf
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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