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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — ground
  6. field — for sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. vault — a safe
  9. land — a country
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — tied together
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bound — certain
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. field — a subject
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. perch — the fish
  21. field — farmland
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bound — obliged

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