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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — in sport
  4. press — to push
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. press — newspapers
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. scale — size or range
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — to be able to
  16. charge — in control
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. scale — in music
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. press — a publisher
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fork — in a road

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