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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · craft · object · pound · sharp · mouse · perch · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. craft — boats
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. pound — a weight
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. press — newspapers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — a publisher
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — a thing
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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