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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. degree — temperature
  6. press — to push
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — an amount
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. last — final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rock — music
  24. degree — from a university

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