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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 120 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 · fork · kick · perch · club · pitch · pound · content

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — for golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — happy
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. content — the amount
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pitch — completely
  16. kick — in football
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fork — in a road
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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