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

Word bank: pound · perch · cabinet · swing · root · rush · fall · field

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fall — the season
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. field — a subject
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — the cause
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. swing — to play on
  24. field — for sport

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