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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: perch · straw · content · field · degree · court · fan · suit

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. court — of a king
  8. content — happy
  9. suit — to fit
  10. court — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. court — of law
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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