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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitch — completely
  6. craft — boats
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — a country
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ground — crushed
  14. land — to come down
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ground — a position
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. press — a publisher
  23. land — ground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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