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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pass — a permit
  6. field — a subject
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — to bear
  9. row — a line
  10. pop — to visit
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — for sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. field — farmland
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — for spectators
  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