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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 · hide · roll · perch · bay · club · stem · mate

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. roll — a list
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mate — to breed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. mate — a friend
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  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