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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 120 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 · perch · straw · rash · spell · bank · object · board

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. field — for sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. object — to protest
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bank — of a river
  9. field — a subject
  10. object — an aim
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — to get on
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a committee
  15. perch — the fish
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — for money
  18. object — a thing
  19. field — farmland
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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