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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. band — a music group
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — a partner
  12. field — for sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. shower — rain
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a signal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cue — a hint
  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