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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 116 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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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: mark · field · fine · squash · perch · swing · cap · nail

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. field — a subject
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cap — a lid
  8. field — farmland
  9. swing — to play on
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fine — all right
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. perch — the fish
  19. field — for sport
  20. swing — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mark — a grade
  24. nail — for a hammer

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