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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bore — to tire
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. field — a subject
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a ring
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. band — a music group

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