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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. press — newspapers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. suit — to fit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pop — to visit
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fall — to drop
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. foot — a measure
  19. suit — clothes
  20. press — to push
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. perch — for a bird

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