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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. field — for sport
  3. rash — hasty
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — farmland
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rash — a series
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bear — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — for sport
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — a subject

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