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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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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: wake · cap · bark · press · foot · perch · pit · leaves

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. cap — a lid
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — to shout
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. press — to push
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cap — of ice

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