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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: staff · prune · lean · perch · field · nail · firm · pitcher

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. field — a subject
  3. staff — employees
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — a company
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — steady
  9. perch — the fish
  10. firm — decided
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. lean — thin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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