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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · pitcher · leaves · perch · lie · field · racket · game

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — a match
  4. spell — a short time
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spell — magic
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. game — wild animals
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — farmland
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — letters
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. field — a subject

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