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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: jam · wound · field · calf · mug · row · date · perch

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. field — for sport
  4. mug — to rob
  5. row — to paddle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. field — a subject
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. row — a line
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mug — a face
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. field — farmland
  23. date — the fruit
  24. jam — in traffic

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