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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: field · fan · current · perch · prune · pitcher · stick · press

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — to trim
  4. field — for sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. current — electric

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