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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. field — a subject
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. race — a contest
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cap — a hat
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. race — humankind
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bank — of a river
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — for a bird

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