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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: ball · mouse · spell · saw · perch · bound · field · rest

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a great time
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — magic
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bound — obliged
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — tied together
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. ball — a dance
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. field — a subject

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