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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — a video
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. clip — to cut
  14. net — after costs
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. field — for sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. field — farmland
  22. clip — for paper
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fan — to cool the air

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