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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 116 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. field — for sport
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. field — a subject
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. key — in music
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. drill — the tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lean — thin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. drill — army training
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lean — to bend
  24. field — farmland

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