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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. perch — the fish
  3. press — newspapers
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kick — in football
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — wild animals
  14. land — to come down
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mate — a partner
  19. land — ground
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cue — a signal
  22. game — a match
  23. cue — for pool
  24. land — a country

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