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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · rush · ground · straw · field · racket · cabinet · perch

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. field — farmland
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ground — a position
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — for sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ground — the earth
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rush — to hurry

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