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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · press · fork · stand · ruler · clip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. clip — to cut
  6. press — newspapers
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — in a road
  12. clip — a video
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — the fish
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stand — for spectators

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