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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 120 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: patient · field · leaves · squash · cue · safe · perch · prune

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. field — farmland
  13. cue — a signal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. field — a subject
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. cue — a hint
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cue — for pool
  24. field — for sport

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