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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — to protest
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — for sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. board — a committee
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pit — a hole
  18. object — a thing
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — to get on

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