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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. current — happening now
  5. field — for sport
  6. pop — soda
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — a subject
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. current — electric
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. current — of water

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