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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: safe · mark · rock · squash · racket · track · perch · fork

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. perch — the fish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fork — in a road
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mark — a grade
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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