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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. field — farmland
  3. perch — the fish
  4. present — there
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lie — to recline
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — for sport
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. scale — size or range
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. present — the time now
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a trace
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lie — an untruth

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