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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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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. press — to push
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a lid
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. drill — army training
  13. press — newspapers
  14. cap — a hat
  15. net — in sport
  16. mine — for digging
  17. drill — a practice
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. net — for catching
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cap — of ice
  23. net — after costs
  24. suit — clothes

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