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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: file · tube · nail · fork · club · perch · roll · rest

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — in a road
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rest — a break
  8. roll — a cake
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. club — a group
  12. tube — the underground
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. roll — a list
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — a container
  24. file — a line of people

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