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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. board — to get on
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bear — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — to come from
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. board — a committee

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