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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ground · kick · mouse · march · field · cabinet · bass

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. field — a subject
  6. ground — a position
  7. kick — in football
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. field — for sport
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. perch — the fish
  15. march — the month
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. march — music
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bass — low music

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