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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — to drill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — to tire
  11. can — to be able to
  12. foot — a measure
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. land — a country
  15. perch — the fish
  16. press — to push
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. land — ground
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — in music

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