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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — after costs
  4. press — to push
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spell — magic
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spell — a short time
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — for catching
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — in sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. can — to be able to

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