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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 120 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: kick · fork · key · spring · net · perch · squash · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. key — the most important part
  6. net — for catching
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — in a road
  9. squash — the sport
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. key — for a lock
  12. net — after costs
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. key — in music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spring — the season
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. squash — to crush

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