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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. field — for sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. present — a gift
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — the time now
  22. fork — in a road
  23. stock — goods
  24. present — there

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