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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pop — soda
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. press — a publisher
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. press — newspapers
  10. present — there
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. present — a gift
  17. stock — shares
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. press — to push
  20. perch — the fish
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stock — goods
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. present — the time now

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