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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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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: present · saw · cue · wave · field · perch · stand · tear

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. field — farmland
  3. present — a gift
  4. cue — a hint
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. field — a subject
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. field — for sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — there
  15. stand — to bear
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. present — the time now
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — a signal

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