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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.

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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: rush · perch · bear · content · mark · field · key · rock

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. content — the amount
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. key — in music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. field — a subject
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. field — for sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. key — for a lock
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. content — happy

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