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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
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: field · toast · perch · wave · staff · mug · shower · degree

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. degree — an amount
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. shower — to wash
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — the fish
  11. staff — employees
  12. mug — a face
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. degree — from a university
  17. field — a subject
  18. degree — temperature
  19. field — farmland
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. toast — bread
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — rain

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