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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: ground · press · arm · race · bulb · pitcher · lie · perch

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ground — the earth
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ground — a position
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. press — to push
  24. perch — the fish

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