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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. press — to push
  5. season — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — to visit
  10. season — of the year
  11. ground — a position
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ground — crushed
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pop — soda
  24. ground — the earth

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