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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 · net · fine · racket · pitcher · roll · perch · rash

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rash — hasty
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. roll — a list
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. perch — for a bird

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