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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wax — to grow

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