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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. rock — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — a thing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. club — for golf
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — an aim
  16. field — farmland
  17. club — a group
  18. field — for sport
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kick — in football
  22. object — to protest
  23. craft — a skill
  24. field — a subject

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