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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · stand · row · perch · track · field · shower · object

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a signal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — to wash
  7. field — for sport
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cue — for pool
  11. object — a thing
  12. track — to keep track
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. field — a subject
  16. cue — a hint
  17. track — a path
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. track — a song
  20. row — a line
  21. field — farmland
  22. perch — the fish
  23. shower — rain
  24. stand — for spectators

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