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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. press — to push
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bore — to drill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pass — a permit
  18. craft — boats
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. craft — a skill

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