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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. land — a country
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. land — ground
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bore — to drill
  7. press — newspapers
  8. game — a match
  9. last — to go on
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — to come down
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — final
  15. press — to push
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. last — finally
  18. game — wild animals
  19. sharp — clever
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bore — to tire

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