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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — steady
  4. content — the amount
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. press — to push
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — to crush
  10. firm — a company
  11. cue — a signal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. content — happy
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cue — a hint
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. staff — a stick
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. press — newspapers
  23. firm — decided
  24. content — videos and posts

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