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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — rain
  3. saw — the tool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — music
  7. field — for sport
  8. season — in sport
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. field — farmland
  12. shower — to wash
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — the fish
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — to bear
  19. field — a subject
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — of the year
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. perch — for a bird

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