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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: bear · bore · ground · perch · race · nail · press · roll

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bore — to drill
  3. press — newspapers
  4. perch — the fish
  5. press — to push
  6. bore — to tire
  7. roll — a list
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. roll — a cake
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. race — the arms race
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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