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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: perch · tear · craft · pitcher · fan · suit · kid · fork

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tear — to rip
  9. craft — boats
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kid — child
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — a skill
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fan — to cool the air

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