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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: bark · fork · key · mouse · perch · track · mug · pitcher

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — in music
  15. track — a path
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — a song
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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