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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: fork · chair · dip · saw · perch · mate · cue · trunk

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mate — to breed
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chair — a leader
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cue — for pool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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