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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: bowl · dip · fall · foot · field · ball · perch · suit

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a great time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — to fit
  9. field — a subject
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fall — to drop
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fall — the season
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. field — for sport
  21. perch — the fish
  22. suit — in cards
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ball — a dance

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