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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: perch · bound · row · field · race · lie · fine · firm

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a line
  10. race — the arms race
  11. firm — steady
  12. row — to paddle
  13. firm — a company
  14. race — a contest
  15. fine — all right
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fine — high quality
  19. race — humankind
  20. firm — decided
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lie — to recline
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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