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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 120 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. firm — decided
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. sharp — clever
  8. press — to push
  9. firm — a company
  10. present — the time now
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. game — wild animals
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. present — there
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — a song
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. firm — steady
  22. game — a match
  23. press — a publisher
  24. perch — for a bird

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