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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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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: key · perch · stem · suit · pitcher · firm · bank · field

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. firm — decided
  5. suit — to fit
  6. key — in music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. firm — a company
  9. field — farmland
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. field — a subject
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stem — to come from
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. firm — steady
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — for a lock
  22. suit — in cards
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

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