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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. file — a tool
  3. shower — rain
  4. swing — music
  5. file — a line of people
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. swing — to play on
  12. press — to push
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bank — of a river
  15. press — newspapers
  16. shower — to wash
  17. swing — in golf
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. file — a document
  20. bank — for money
  21. game — a match
  22. press — a publisher
  23. perch — the fish
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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