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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: arm · stick · cell · fork · perch · safe · stock · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — in biology
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — on the skin

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