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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 120 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 · ball · field · perch · bank · hide · bulb · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. field — farmland
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bank — for money
  9. rest — a break
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. field — a subject
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — of a river
  16. field — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. perch — the fish

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