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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — finally
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — in sport
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. press — to push
  15. firm — steady
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. firm — decided
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. firm — a company
  24. safe — out of danger

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