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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — a permit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. swing — music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. field — a subject
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rock — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rock — a stone
  15. scale — in music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. swing — in golf
  18. field — farmland
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wound — an injury

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