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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mug — to rob
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — to push
  14. dip — to sink
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pound — a weight
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. race — a contest
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. race — the arms race
  24. perch — the fish

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