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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: stand · jam · field · current · perch · date · band · foot

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. date — the fruit
  3. current — of water
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — to bear
  8. field — a subject
  9. current — happening now
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. band — a music group
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. foot — a measure
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. band — a ring
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. perch — the fish
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. field — for sport
  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