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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rock — a stone
  9. field — a subject
  10. rash — hasty
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rock — music
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — a series
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — the fish

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