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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fork — in a road
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. content — happy
  6. cap — a lid
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pound — a weight
  10. content — the amount
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. press — newspapers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cap — of ice
  23. press — to push
  24. cap — a hat

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