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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: tube · field · fine · fan · pitcher · mouse · perch · bowl

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. field — for sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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