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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: staff · object · field · perch · bay · wave · swing · ball

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a dance
  4. swing — music
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — to play on
  7. staff — a stick
  8. object — to protest
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. field — farmland
  11. object — a thing
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. object — an aim
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. swing — in golf
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. ball — a great time
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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