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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. perch — the fish
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mark — a trace
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — hurry
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. deal — to handle
  24. press — a publisher

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