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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: tube · perch · fork · track · cap · bass · dip · swing

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. track — a path
  7. cap — a lid
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — the fish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tube — a container
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bass — low music
  18. track — to keep track
  19. swing — to play on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — in a road
  22. dip — to sink
  23. track — a song
  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