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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fall — to drop
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mug — a cup
  6. race — a contest
  7. fine — high quality
  8. race — the arms race
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. press — newspapers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. press — a publisher
  14. race — humankind
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. press — to push
  20. mug — a face
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — all right
  24. roll — a list

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