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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — a friend
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. field — for sport
  10. charge — a price
  11. perch — the fish
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mate — a partner
  16. charge — in control
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — to breed
  19. field — a subject
  20. scale — size or range
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. charge — electricity
  23. board — to get on
  24. field — farmland

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