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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — to push
  4. field — a subject
  5. last — final
  6. row — to paddle
  7. last — to go on
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. press — newspapers
  11. field — farmland
  12. craft — boats
  13. last — finally
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bore — to drill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. field — for sport
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bore — to tire
  20. press — a publisher
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. row — a line

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