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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — a committee
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. field — for sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fine — high quality
  14. field — farmland
  15. perch — the fish
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. field — a subject
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — to get on
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fine — all right
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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