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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. field — farmland
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. field — for sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. roll — a list
  13. toast — bread
  14. field — a subject
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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