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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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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 · deal · game · perch · wake · hide · wax · pitch

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. perch — the fish
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — a trail
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — in a road
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. game — a match

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