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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: game · perch · jam · leaves · roll · rush · pass · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. game — a match
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. perch — the fish
  16. roll — a list
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pass — a permit
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rush — hurry

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