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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. object — a thing
  5. pitch — completely
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. field — a subject
  8. net — in sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pound — a weight
  12. field — for sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fine — all right
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. field — farmland

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