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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stand — to bear
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. bound — certain
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bound — tied together
  12. press — a publisher
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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