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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 116 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: perch · bore · race · field · bowl · calf · saw · cell

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cell — in biology
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — to tire
  10. field — a subject
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. race — a contest
  14. field — for sport
  15. cell — a phone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. saw — the tool

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