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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: jam · club · firm · staff · wound · fork · perch · coach

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — a stick
  3. club — for golf
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — steady
  7. fork — in a road
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — the fish
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. club — for dancing
  18. firm — a company
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — decided
  24. jam — in traffic

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