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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. can — a tin
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. field — for sport
  6. rule — government
  7. field — farmland
  8. rule — a law
  9. dip — to sink
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — a tin

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