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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. craft — boats
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — in a race
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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