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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. present — the time now
  3. field — a subject
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — for sport
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. key — in music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. field — farmland
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mate — a partner
  15. key — for a lock
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — a friend
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. dip — to sink
  24. perch — for a bird

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