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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. field — farmland
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. present — there
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. sharp — clever
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fine — all right
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — a gift
  16. field — a subject
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — the time now
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. field — for sport

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