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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bear — the animal
  4. field — a subject
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. dip — to sink
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. field — farmland
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — for sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fine — high quality
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — completely

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