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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: stand · field · perch · net · jam · rock · key · ground

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — for catching
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. key — in music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. net — in sport
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rock — music
  13. field — for sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ground — crushed
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. field — farmland
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rock — a stone
  23. net — after costs
  24. perch — for a bird

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