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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.

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: bat · foot · press · stick · rash · band · perch · pitcher

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rash — hasty
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. press — newspapers
  8. perch — the fish
  9. band — a ring
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. band — a music group
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. press — to push
  24. pitcher — a jug

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