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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: firm · stick · bay · file · field · perch · current · rock

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — happening now
  5. field — for sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — a company
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — a subject
  12. firm — steady
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. firm — decided
  15. current — electric
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — the fish
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. current — of water
  23. file — a line of people
  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