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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. field — farmland
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — a subject
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. pitch — completely
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chest — of your body
  13. can — a tin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. field — for sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. perch — for a bird

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