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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: field · kick · perch · stick · chip · shower · rush · can

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. field — a subject
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chip — for betting
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — in football
  14. shower — to wash
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. field — for sport
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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