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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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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: spell · bay · fork · band · perch · field · lean · wave

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. band — a ring
  6. field — farmland
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. field — a subject
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. spell — a short time
  20. perch — the fish
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. band — a music group

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