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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mug — a face
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — to rob
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mug — a cup
  12. field — farmland
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — an aim
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. object — to protest
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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