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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: rock · perch · craft · pop · bay · last · press · ground

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pop — to visit
  11. press — to push
  12. craft — a skill
  13. last — to go on
  14. pop — music
  15. press — newspapers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pop — soda
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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