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

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. face — to confront
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. face — part of the head
  8. press — newspapers
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. face — to point toward
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. press — a publisher
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — a list
  20. land — to come down
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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