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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 116 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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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: suit · fork · club · perch · track · capital · drill · wake

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. drill — a practice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fork — in a road
  9. club — for golf
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. drill — army training
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — a path
  18. capital — a city
  19. club — for dancing
  20. suit — clothes
  21. track — to keep track
  22. capital — money
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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