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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: lean · field · row · perch · track · firm · bay · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. field — for sport
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. firm — a company
  6. row — to paddle
  7. lean — to bend
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. track — a path
  12. field — farmland
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. track — to keep track
  15. row — a line
  16. firm — steady
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — finally
  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