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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. press — to push
  2. last — to go on
  3. game — a match
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — newspapers
  8. last — final
  9. suit — to fit
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. swing — in golf
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. last — finally
  16. ground — crushed
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ground — a position
  23. press — a publisher
  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