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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — to push
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. branch — a division
  6. object — to protest
  7. pit — in a race
  8. object — an aim
  9. perch — the fish
  10. game — a match
  11. object — a thing
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — a publisher
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — newspapers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. branch — of a bank

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