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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — help
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. press — to push
  11. rock — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — newspapers
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — the fish
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — for catching
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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