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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: roll · bass · track · dip · bat · perch · press · mug

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — to sink
  4. track — a path
  5. press — a publisher
  6. track — to keep track
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. press — to push
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mug — to rob
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — newspapers
  17. roll — a list
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bass — the fish
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bass — low music
  24. track — a song

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