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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
468
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: perch · content · season · fork · bowl · firm · field · fan

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. season — of the year
  11. fork — in a road
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — steady
  17. perch — the fish
  18. season — in sport
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. firm — a company
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. content — happy
  24. firm — decided

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