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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. field — farmland
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. field — for sport
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — music
  24. field — a subject

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