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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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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: rest · rash · arm · scale · perch · fork · field · tube

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. scale — size or range
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. field — for sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — a subject
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. field — farmland
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — a container
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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