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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 120 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: perch · current · squash · mouse · pop · rock · field · firm

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — soda
  4. field — a subject
  5. squash — the sport
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — of water
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pop — music
  11. firm — steady
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. field — farmland
  14. rock — music
  15. current — electric
  16. firm — decided
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — to visit
  24. perch — for a bird

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