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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 124 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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. field — for sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. firm — a company
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. present — the time now
  9. firm — steady
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. field — a subject
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. craft — a skill
  15. field — farmland
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. craft — boats
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. present — there
  21. firm — decided
  22. chip — for betting
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — gave birth

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