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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.

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: fan · last · stand · toast · craft · perch · date · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. craft — boats
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. last — to go on
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. toast — bread
  17. field — a subject
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stand — to bear
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. perch — the fish
  24. last — final

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