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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: fork · pitcher · scale · arm · bowl · leaves · march · season

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — the month
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. scale — size or range
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. season — in sport
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — in a road
  21. march — music
  22. season — of the year
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. season — to add flavour

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