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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: track · bay · perch · prune · charge · land · racket · fork

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a song
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fork — in a road
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. land — a country
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — to keep track
  21. charge — a price
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — ground
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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