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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: fork · file · leaves · perch · bear · band · can · pop

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. file — a document
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pop — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. band — a ring
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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