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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. perch — the fish
  3. charge — a price
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kick — in football
  9. ground — a position
  10. field — for sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. field — a subject
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cue — a hint
  15. charge — in control
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. field — farmland
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — electricity
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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