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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. field — a subject
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — for sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pit — a hole
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — farmland
  21. pit — in a race
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. perch — the fish
  24. craft — a skill

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