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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bass — low music
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chair — a leader
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rush — hurry
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the fish
  24. sharp — exactly

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