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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. field — a subject
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. club — for golf
  7. perch — the fish
  8. club — for dancing
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bore — to drill
  13. season — in sport
  14. field — for sport
  15. mug — to rob
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. field — farmland
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — a group
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bore — gave birth

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