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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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468
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. perch — the fish
  4. kid — child
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — a song
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — to recline
  14. charge — a price
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. field — for sport
  19. kid — to tease
  20. field — farmland
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a path
  24. ruler — a monarch

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