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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. field — for sport
  3. branch — a division
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. suit — to fit
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. net — after costs
  8. suit — clothes
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. net — for catching
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. net — in sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. perch — the fish
  17. field — farmland
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. field — a subject
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

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