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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — to wash
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pop — soda
  15. press — a publisher
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stock — shares
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — rain
  21. sharp — clever
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stock — goods
  24. perch — for a bird

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