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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wind — moving air
  9. club — for golf
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. club — a group
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. club — for dancing
  15. deal — to handle
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — newspapers
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. press — to push
  22. wind — moving air
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. perch — the fish

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