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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. press — newspapers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — in a road
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. capital — a city
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — a law
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. press — to push
  13. track — a song
  14. rule — government
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. capital — money
  24. chip — for betting

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