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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. drill — army training
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wake — a trail
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ball — a dance
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. drill — the tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. press — newspapers
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. press — to push
  18. cell — a phone
  19. drill — a practice
  20. press — a publisher
  21. ball — a great time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. patient — a sick person

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