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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: stem · pound · mouse · face · perch · field · sharp · band

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. band — a ring
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. face — to point toward
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. face — to confront
  12. stem — to come from
  13. field — for sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. perch — the fish
  18. field — farmland
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — the 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