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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
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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 · perch · staff · scale · fine · chest · saw · mark

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mark — a trace
  10. staff — a stick
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mark — a grade
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. staff — employees
  24. chest — a box

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