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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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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 · suit · rock · jam · face · net · field · band

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a ring
  4. net — for catching
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. face — to point toward
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. suit — clothes
  11. face — part of the head
  12. field — farmland
  13. rock — a stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — a subject
  19. net — after costs
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. field — for sport
  22. suit — to fit
  23. face — to confront
  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