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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: season · foot · perch · rest · mark · safe · calf · fork

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a trace
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rest — a break
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. fork — in a road
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rest — what's left

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