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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: mug · last · firm · bass · field · fine · ruler · perch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — to rob
  5. field — farmland
  6. last — final
  7. field — a subject
  8. firm — a company
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. field — for sport
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. last — finally
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. last — to go on
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. firm — decided
  23. mug — a cup
  24. ruler — for measuring

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