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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.

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 · fine · leaves · field · wax · net · game · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. field — for sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. field — a subject
  10. fine — high quality
  11. field — farmland
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fine — all right
  16. game — a match
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mug — a cup

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