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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. press — to push
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. scale — in music
  6. race — a contest
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. press — newspapers
  9. land — to come down
  10. perch — the fish
  11. race — the arms race
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — ground
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. race — humankind
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. can — to be able to
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. perch — for a bird

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