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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: staff · wax · swing · field · jam · fork · stock · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. staff — employees
  5. field — for sport
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. swing — music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stock — goods
  11. swing — to play on
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. field — a subject
  14. stock — shares
  15. field — farmland
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fork — in a road
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — in golf
  24. fork — to eat with

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