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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: field · ball · rush · mug · suit · perch · mate · land

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. land — ground
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mug — to rob
  5. land — to come down
  6. rush — hurry
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mate — a partner
  9. ball — a dance
  10. field — a subject
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. suit — clothes
  13. field — farmland
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — to breed
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mug — a face
  20. field — for sport
  21. mug — a cup
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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