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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — tied together
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. field — for sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. field — farmland
  21. bound — certain
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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