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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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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: fork · bound · arm · land · foot · vault · perch · ball

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ball — a great time
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — to come down
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bound — certain
  21. land — a country
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. land — ground
  24. perch — for a bird

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