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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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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: deal · perch · field · last · foot · tear · sharp · stand

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. perch — the fish
  5. tear — to rip
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. field — a subject
  11. tear — from crying
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stand — to bear
  16. foot — a measure
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — to go on
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. last — finally
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. field — farmland
  24. last — final

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