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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — in golf
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — the earth
  7. press — to push
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mug — a face
  13. row — a line
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. press — newspapers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — crushed
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ground — a position
  24. row — a quarrel

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