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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.

Words on the sheet
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: degree · fall · field · fine · can · swing · bulb · perch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — the season
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. perch — the fish
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. swing — in golf
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fine — high quality
  17. can — to be able to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — for sport
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — all right

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