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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: track · foot · fork · perch · ruler · suit · press · drill

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — a song
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. drill — army training
  10. perch — the fish
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. press — newspapers
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. press — to push
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. suit — clothes
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fork — in a road

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