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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. drill — a practice
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — the fish
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. drill — the tool
  13. firm — steady
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. drill — army training
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. field — a subject
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. trunk — of a car

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