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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. field — a subject
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. swing — to play on
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. field — for sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — a tin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — a tin
  18. swing — in golf
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — farmland

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