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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. press — newspapers
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — the time now
  10. land — ground
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — to push
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — to come down
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. perch — the fish
  17. press — a publisher
  18. land — a country
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — a strongbox

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