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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — to get on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a grade
  8. field — for sport
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. pit — a hole
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — farmland
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — a sauce

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