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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · fan · jam · content · stem · mouse · perch · bulb

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. perch — the fish
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — happy
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. content — the amount
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — to push
  24. jam — a tight spot

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