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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: perch · temple · fan · snap · sharp · field · wake · scale

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. perch — the fish
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — in music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — a subject
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. snap — to click
  24. field — farmland

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