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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. field — farmland
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — a match
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. toast — bread
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. field — a subject
  17. cue — a hint
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. field — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. safe — out of danger

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