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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. field — for sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. field — a subject
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pound — a weight
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. dip — to sink
  18. perch — the fish
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. toast — bread
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. field — farmland
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. dip — a sauce

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