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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: net · fork · rock · mate · key · lean · perch · vault

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — a partner
  3. net — after costs
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — in sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — for catching
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. key — for a lock
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — music
  24. key — in music

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