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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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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: file · mark · perch · kid · leaves · stand · kick · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. field — farmland
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mark — a grade
  11. perch — the fish
  12. field — for sport
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. file — a document

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