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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · spell · chair · scale · spring · perch · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. spell — magic
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ball — a great time
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — a leader
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a round shape

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