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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · field · scale · lie · pitcher · fork · arm · root

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. root — the cause
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. field — a subject
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lie — to recline
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. scale — size or range

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