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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: scale · field · fork · safe · arm · stem · band · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. band — a music group
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. field — a subject
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. scale — in music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fork — in a road
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a ring
  16. stem — to come from
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. field — for sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. perch — the fish
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. safe — out of danger

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