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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. perch — the fish
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rush — hurry
  6. field — for sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — a group
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. club — for golf
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. club — for dancing
  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