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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the sport
  4. club — for golf
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — a group
  9. press — newspapers
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. press — to push
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — to crush
  17. press — a publisher
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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