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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked 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. band — a ring
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — to push
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. band — a music group
  10. perch — the fish
  11. press — newspapers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rush — hurry
  14. key — in music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — the most important part
  19. tube — a container
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — the animal
  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