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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. field — a subject
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bank — for money
  5. club — for golf
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — for money
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. field — farmland
  21. capital — money
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. field — for sport
  24. club — a group

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