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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mate — a friend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tear — from crying
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. suit — clothes
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — to rip
  10. field — farmland
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — to handle
  17. perch — the fish
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. suit — to fit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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