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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rash — hasty
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — boats
  9. field — for sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. craft — a skill
  17. field — a subject
  18. bark — to shout
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — a series
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. perch — for a bird

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