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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: rash · pit · perch · swing · toast · wound · field · rest

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. toast — bread
  5. pit — a hole
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rash — hasty
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — in a race
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — farmland
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. field — a subject
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — for sport
  24. rash — a series

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