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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 124 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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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 · drill · file · perch · bear · track · lash · pitch

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. track — a song
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. file — a tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. track — a path
  23. file — a document
  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