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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: rest · club · march · perch · swing · jam · firm · fork

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. firm — a company
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — music
  7. firm — steady
  8. march — the month
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. swing — to play on
  13. march — the month
  14. club — for golf
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. march — music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. firm — decided
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. rest — a break

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