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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. capital — a city
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. toast — bread
  6. capital — money
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. branch — a division
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — farmland
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a great time
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. field — for sport

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