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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: swing · perch · fork · row · fine · deal · mug · game

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. swing — to play on
  3. game — wild animals
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mug — a face
  6. swing — music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. row — a line
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. row — to paddle
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mug — a cup
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fine — all right
  20. swing — in golf
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a match
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fine — high quality

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