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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. perch — the fish
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. press — to push
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — for a lock
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — a publisher
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — newspapers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mark — a grade

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