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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — to push
  4. saw — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. march — the month
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. press — newspapers
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. march — music
  24. press — a publisher

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