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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — music
  4. land — to come down
  5. pop — soda
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ground — crushed
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. press — to push
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — a country
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — a position
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. root — the cause
  19. press — a publisher
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ground — the earth
  22. root — of a word
  23. land — ground
  24. perch — the fish

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