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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: field · rest · pitcher · race · present · perch · snap · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — the arms race
  4. field — a subject
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. snap — to click
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. present — there
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — a break
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — farmland
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — for sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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