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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
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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: field · temple · current · perch · shower · swing · bay · pitcher

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. field — for sport
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. swing — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. swing — to play on
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. field — a subject
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. field — farmland
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — in golf
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — of water

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