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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bass — the fish
  5. press — to push
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bass — low music
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — to eat
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. perch — for a bird

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