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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: fork · field · arm · vault · perch · mark · temple · press

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. field — farmland
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. field — for sport
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mark — a trace
  10. vault — a safe
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. press — newspapers
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. press — a publisher
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — to push
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. field — a subject
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fork — in a road
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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