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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.

Make a worksheet

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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. field — for sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for dancing
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — the fish
  10. field — farmland
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. club — a group
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. field — a subject
  20. club — for golf
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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