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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — a subject
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — for sport
  6. perch — the fish
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. file — a document
  18. march — the month
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — farmland
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. can — to be able to
  24. patient — a sick person

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