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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fine — high quality
  4. net — for catching
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. net — in sport
  8. pop — to visit
  9. deal — to handle
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — to push
  12. net — after costs
  13. spell — letters
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spell — magic
  18. fine — all right
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pop — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. press — a publisher

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