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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: ball · stick · bore · roll · perch · chair · field · trunk

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. field — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — farmland
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. field — a subject
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ball — a dance
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — a list

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