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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stock — shares
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. field — for sport
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stock — goods
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. toast — bread
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — to go away
  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