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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: dip · chair · perch · fork · key · spring · can · file

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — for a lock
  8. file — a tool
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spring — of water
  17. file — a document
  18. fork — in a road
  19. can — a tin
  20. dip — to sink
  21. key — the most important part
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. key — in music
  24. perch — the fish

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