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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: fork · perch · safe · arm · ball · swing · game · rush

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. game — a match
  6. ball — a dance
  7. perch — the fish
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ball — a great time
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. swing — in golf
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fork — in a road
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  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