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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 116 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. suit — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. press — to push
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ground — the earth
  9. land — a country
  10. clip — to cut
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ground — a position
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. ground — crushed
  20. suit — to fit
  21. press — newspapers
  22. clip — a video
  23. cap — of ice
  24. suit — clothes

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