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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — a stone
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rock — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. season — in sport
  13. track — a path
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. press — a publisher
  22. chip — to eat
  23. press — newspapers
  24. perch — for a bird

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