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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. track — a song
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mug — a face
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. track — a path
  14. ground — crushed
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ground — a position
  19. track — to keep track
  20. ground — the earth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mug — to rob
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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