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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: calf · cell · content · temple · field · fork · perch · arm

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. content — the amount
  5. field — for sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. content — happy
  9. field — a subject
  10. cell — a phone
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. field — farmland
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — in a road
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — in biology
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. perch — the fish

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