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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — farmland
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. field — for sport
  9. spell — magic
  10. perch — the fish
  11. present — there
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — letters
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kid — to tease
  21. field — a subject
  22. kid — child
  23. bear — to put up with
  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