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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. scale — in music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. field — for sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. land — a country
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — farmland
  16. land — to come down
  17. rash — hasty
  18. field — a subject
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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