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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — farmland
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to bend
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — in sport

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