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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. shower — rain
  5. rest — what's left
  6. field — a subject
  7. mug — a cup
  8. key — in music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mug — to rob
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rest — a break
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. field — for sport
  23. mug — a face
  24. pit — in a race

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