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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — in a race
  4. field — farmland
  5. last — to go on
  6. perch — the fish
  7. press — to push
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. press — newspapers
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — final
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. field — for sport
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. field — a subject
  24. mouse — the animal

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