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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: last · jam · dip · roll · pop · vault · press · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. press — newspapers
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pop — soda
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. roll — a list
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. roll — a cake

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