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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.

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: field · perch · staff · fan · hide · arm · fork · date

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — a stick
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — in a road
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. date — the fruit
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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