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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. present — the time now
  2. field — for sport
  3. staff — a stick
  4. field — farmland
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. perch — the fish
  15. present — a gift
  16. field — a subject
  17. suit — clothes
  18. staff — employees
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. staff — employees
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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