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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: fork · arm · root · trunk · scale · calf · patient · field

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. root — the cause
  3. scale — size or range
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. field — a subject
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — in music

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