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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — to paddle
  3. branch — a division
  4. bass — the fish
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. field — for sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. charge — electricity
  11. field — farmland
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. snap — to click
  18. mug — to rob
  19. charge — in control
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mug — a cup
  22. charge — a price
  23. mug — a face
  24. perch — for a bird

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