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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: field · suit · nail · rash · roll · bank · perch · toast

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. field — a subject
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. suit — in cards
  9. perch — the fish
  10. toast — bread
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. field — farmland
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — a series
  16. field — for sport
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. roll — a list
  19. rash — hasty
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — on a roll
  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