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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.

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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. field — a subject
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. field — farmland
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bass — low music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pop — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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