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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — the fish
  18. band — a ring
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. track — a path
  23. bat — the animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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