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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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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: perch · field · bear · vault · racket · press

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. vault — a safe
  6. field — for sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — to push
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bear — the animal
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. press — a publisher
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis

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