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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 116 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: fork · net · perch · dip · rest · key · cap · patient

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — the fish
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — in sport
  5. cap — a hat
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fork — in a road
  9. net — for catching
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. key — the most important part
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. key — in music
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. net — after costs
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rest — a break

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