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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. land — a country
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. last — final
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a path
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. last — to go on
  16. press — to push
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. last — finally
  20. fork — in a road
  21. track — a song
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — to keep track

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