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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: season · dip · mouse · field · perch · land · vault · calf

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — a subject
  5. perch — the fish
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — of the year
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. dip — to sink
  12. field — farmland
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. land — ground
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. field — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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