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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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468
Word bank
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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. spell — magic
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pit — in a race
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. press — to push
  24. calf — a young animal

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