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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — farmland
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. firm — decided
  7. net — for catching
  8. firm — steady
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. perch — the fish
  22. scale — in music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bulb — of a plant

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