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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: kid · fork · current · stick · key · perch · kick · track

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. track — a song
  4. current — happening now
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fork — in a road
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. current — electric
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. kid — child
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. track — to keep track
  21. current — of water
  22. kick — in football
  23. kid — to tease
  24. track — a path

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