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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. season — in sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. perch — the fish
  9. field — for sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — all right
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. field — farmland
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — a monarch

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