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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — for sport
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bass — the fish
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. field — farmland
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — low music
  17. field — a subject
  18. mine — for digging
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bank — for money
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. bass — the instrument
  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