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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 120 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 didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — boats
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. field — for sport
  10. bat — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. perch — the fish
  14. suit — clothes
  15. dip — to sink
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — a break
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — farmland
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a skill
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rest — what's left

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