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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: stem · wave · perch · pound · vault · game · field · season

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. field — farmland
  8. pound — a weight
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. season — in sport
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. field — a subject
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. vault — a safe
  18. field — for sport
  19. perch — the fish
  20. game — wild animals
  21. season — of the year
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wave — of the sea

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