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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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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 · chip · perch · safe · field · stem · mark · squash

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. field — for sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — for a bird

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