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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. press — a publisher
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. press — newspapers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — there
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — to push
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. band — a music group
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. band — a ring
  16. snap — to click
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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