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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tear — to rip
  6. field — for sport
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — happening now
  18. press — newspapers
  19. current — electric
  20. press — to push
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. field — farmland
  23. suit — clothes
  24. field — a subject

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