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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 116 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: key · band · fan · rest · ball · mark · fork · perch

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a ring
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — in music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. perch — the fish
  18. key — for a lock
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rest — what's left
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — the most important part

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