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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: field · perch · mouse · object · present · file · vault · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. field — farmland
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — to protest
  9. field — a subject
  10. present — the time now
  11. field — for sport
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. object — a thing
  16. file — a document
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. perch — the fish
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. file — a tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — an aim
  24. present — a gift

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