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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — for golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — a contest
  5. field — a subject
  6. perch — the fish
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bank — of a river
  9. firm — decided
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. firm — a company
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — to handle
  16. field — farmland
  17. race — humankind
  18. field — for sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — for dancing
  21. firm — steady
  22. race — the arms race
  23. club — a group
  24. bank — for money

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