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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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · bay · sharp · perch · hand · jam · spell · fork

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — for dancing
  4. spell — letters
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. perch — the fish
  9. spell — a short time
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hand — in cards
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. hand — help
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spell — magic
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — a group
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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