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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — a subject
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. object — an aim
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — farmland
  18. land — ground
  19. object — to protest
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. land — a country
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. field — for sport
  24. land — to come down

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