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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: wake · bass · perch · mug · bay · field · fork · ruler

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — a subject
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the fish
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bass — low music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. field — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mug — a cup
  18. field — farmland
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mug — a face
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mug — to rob

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