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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cue — for pool
  6. season — in sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bank — for money
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bank — for money
  16. press — to push
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. season — of the year
  21. kid — child
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. racket — a loud noise

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