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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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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. race — humankind
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. staff — employees
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. race — a contest
  8. pop — music
  9. field — a subject
  10. suit — to fit
  11. race — the arms race
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. field — farmland
  20. can — to be able to
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — the fish

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