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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: game · press · land · suit · sharp · perch

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — a publisher
  5. perch — the fish
  6. press — to push
  7. land — to come down
  8. game — wild animals
  9. suit — clothes
  10. sharp — clever
  11. suit — in cards
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. suit — to fit
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — a match
  18. 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