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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: ruler · field · last · wake · sharp · perch · ground · bank

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bank — of a river
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ground — crushed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. field — for sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ground — a position
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. last — final
  19. bank — for money
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. field — farmland
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wake — a trail

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