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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
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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: pass · current · field · straw · wake · jam · date · perch

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. current — happening now
  6. field — farmland
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. wake — a trail
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. perch — the fish
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pass — a permit
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. current — of water
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. current — electric
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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