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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. field — a subject
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. field — for sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — clothes
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. suit — to fit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. snap — to click
  18. field — farmland

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