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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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. perch — the fish
  4. press — to push
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. net — in sport
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a great time
  13. net — for catching
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. net — after costs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. game — a match
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mug — a face
  21. game — wild animals
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mark — a trace
  24. press — newspapers

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