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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rash — a series
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — certain
  16. field — farmland
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. track — to keep track
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — to handle
  23. track — a path
  24. deal — a big deal

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