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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: file · pop · press · bore · perch · net · dip · march

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. bore — to tire
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. file — a tool
  9. dip — to sink
  10. march — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a line of people
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bore — to drill
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. net — in sport
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. net — for catching
  21. march — the month
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pop — to visit

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