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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bear — the animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — the animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — a position
  9. press — newspapers
  10. current — electric
  11. squash — the sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ground — crushed
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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