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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. swing — to play on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. press — to push
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mate — a partner
  15. current — of water
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pop — music
  18. swing — music
  19. craft — boats
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — a skill
  22. pop — to visit
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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