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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: cue · sharp · deal · land · fall · perch · rash · field

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. land — ground
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rash — a series
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. field — a subject
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fall — the season
  16. cue — for pool
  17. land — to come down
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. land — a country
  20. rash — hasty
  21. field — farmland
  22. sharp — clever
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cue — a hint

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