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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: mate · present · field · bulb · perch · staff · straw · nail

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. field — a subject
  10. bulb — for light
  11. field — farmland
  12. perch — the fish
  13. field — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. present — the time now
  19. mate — a partner
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. staff — employees
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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