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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — for catching
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — the arms race
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — farmland
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — a contest
  11. field — for sport
  12. net — in sport
  13. race — humankind
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fine — all right
  16. field — a subject
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stem — to come from
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fine — a penalty

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