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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. perch — the fish
  8. present — the time now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. season — in sport
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fork — in a road
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. season — of the year
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — a division
  23. field — a subject
  24. branch — of a tree

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