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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. drill — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — a company
  7. press — to push
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — steady
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — decided
  12. drill — army training
  13. pop — soda
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. game — a match
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pop — music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. drill — a practice
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. game — wild animals

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