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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: bank · rock · field · spell · mate · stand · fork · perch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mate — a friend
  3. field — a subject
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — for sport
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bank — of a river
  10. field — farmland
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — a stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. spell — letters
  24. stand — on your feet

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