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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.

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: jam · bat · arm · land · fork · nail · perch · net

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. land — ground
  15. perch — the fish
  16. net — after costs
  17. land — a country
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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