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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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468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. press — a publisher
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — an aim
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rock — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. perch — the fish
  22. object — to protest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — a sick person

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