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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — to push
  3. pop — soda
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chest — a box
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — a match
  18. press — newspapers
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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