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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: squash · row · field · jam · stick · file · bay · perch

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. perch — the fish
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. field — a subject
  10. squash — to crush
  11. row — to paddle
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — farmland
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — for sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a tool

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