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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chest — a box
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — in music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. present — there
  10. chest — of your body
  11. field — farmland
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — for sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — the fish
  16. present — a gift
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bulb — for light
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mug — a face
  23. field — a subject
  24. perch — for a bird

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