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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wound — an injury
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. suit — to fit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. suit — clothes
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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