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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. game — a match
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — a subject
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — the fish
  10. object — an aim
  11. shower — rain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bank — of a river
  15. swing — to play on
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. bank — for money
  19. shower — to wash
  20. game — wild animals
  21. field — farmland
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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