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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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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: leaves · tear · field · fork · bay · bear · patient · perch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — to rip
  6. field — for sport
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  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