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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: patient · stand · trunk · fork · mark · bowl · foot · perch

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. foot — a measure
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a grade
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — the bottom

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