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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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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 · bore · object · nail · stick · chair · perch · bay

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. field — farmland
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. object — a thing
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. object — to protest
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bore — to drill
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. nail — for a hammer

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