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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: firm · last · press · cell · perch · pop · key · bear

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — steady
  3. pop — music
  4. last — final
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. last — to go on
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — a company
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — for a lock
  11. firm — decided
  12. pop — to visit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — finally
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cell — in biology
  20. press — to push
  21. key — in music
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pop — soda
  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