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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: suit · perch · bulb · mouse · field · bore · wind · roll

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bore — to drill
  4. roll — a cake
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. field — for sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. bore — to tire
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. field — farmland
  24. roll — on a roll

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