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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mug — a face
  5. fine — all right
  6. field — a subject
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. field — for sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a document
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — farmland
  24. file — a line of people

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