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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — the fish
  4. field — farmland
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. field — for sport
  10. club — a group
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. face — to confront
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cap — a hat
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. club — for golf
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — for dancing

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