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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chip — for betting
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. band — a ring
  11. perch — the fish
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — a grade
  23. field — for sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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