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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. present — the time now
  3. perch — the fish
  4. field — for sport
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. object — to protest
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. drill — the tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. present — there
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. drill — a practice
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. object — a thing
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — a gift
  23. object — an aim
  24. drill — army training

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