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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: plane · field · perch · suit · pop · can · leaves · tear

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. tear — from crying
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tear — to rip
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. can — to be able to
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. field — for sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — soda
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — a subject

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