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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitch — completely
  3. field — farmland
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a document
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — music
  8. file — a tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bass — the fish
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. field — for sport
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. field — a subject
  24. fan — to cool the air

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