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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: staff · field · perch · bay · rash · rock · land · ball

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. field — for sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — a country
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — a stone
  14. field — farmland
  15. rash — hasty
  16. land — ground
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. field — a subject
  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