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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 116 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: rock · ball · mug · kid · mark · sharp · perch · field

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mark — a grade
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mug — a face
  6. field — a subject
  7. mug — a cup
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kid — child
  10. rock — a stone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kid — to tease
  14. ball — a dance
  15. field — farmland
  16. rock — music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mug — to rob
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. field — for sport

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