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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 · pop · field · cap · can · saw · stand · branch

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cap — a hat
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — to be able to
  9. field — farmland
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cap — of ice
  12. field — for sport
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — soda
  16. field — a subject
  17. cap — a lid
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pop — to visit

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