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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — in sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. net — after costs
  7. rock — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — hurry
  12. net — for catching
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rock — a 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