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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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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: press · lean · pitcher · racket · perch · saw

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lean — thin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — a publisher
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — a loud noise

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