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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. perch — the fish
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. last — to go on
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pop — music
  18. last — final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. press — a publisher
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — to breed
  23. chip — for betting
  24. branch — of a tree

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