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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. press — to push
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. track — a path
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fine — high quality
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. current — of water
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — to keep track
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — tied together
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. track — a song
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fine — all right
  22. current — electric
  23. land — ground
  24. bound — certain

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