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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. band — a ring
  3. field — farmland
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. object — an aim
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. field — for sport
  24. object — a thing

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