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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bore — to drill
  4. field — farmland
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. field — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — a subject
  21. chair — a leader
  22. firm — a company
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. firm — decided

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