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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. game — a match
  7. chip — to eat
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — a cup
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. sharp — clever
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mug — to rob
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mug — a face
  20. drill — a practice
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chip — for betting
  23. perch — for a bird
  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