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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. capital — a city
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — the earth
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — in a road

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