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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: toast · bound · field · perch · craft · pitcher · cue · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — for pool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — a hint
  8. craft — boats
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. field — a subject
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — the fish
  14. field — for sport
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. craft — a skill
  17. toast — bread
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — certain

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