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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — in sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. press — to push
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — newspapers
  14. toast — bread
  15. net — for catching
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. net — after costs
  18. current — of water
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — electric
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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