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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — for sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fine — all right
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. band — a music group
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — animal skin

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