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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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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: tear · fork · perch · chip · deal · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. press — to push
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. deal — to handle
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fork — in a road
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — to eat
  18. deal — a big deal

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